Lincoln Way, Crawford County, Illinois
Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives
Copyright 2000 Cindy McCachern
From the Wabash Pearl, 17 Jan 1913
"Lincoln Way"--Report Made--Passed Thru Palestine
Springfield, Ill. Jan. 5--Gov. Deneen yesterday received a report of
the "Lincoln Way" Commission, which authorized by the last General
assembly was appointed by him to ascertain the route followed by the
family of Abraham Lincoln in its migration from the Kentucky home
place to the Sangamon River district near Decatur.
Based on personal visits to the sites along the route, the commission
conveys a report showing in the main the desired route. The trail
from Gentryville, Ind. to Decatur was the commission's particular
province.
The commission recalls that the Lincolns and their relations left
Gentryville, Spencer County, Ind., March 1, 1830. The party, which
faced the ordeal of a frontier journey westward, consisted of thirteen
men, women and children.
According to the testimony of one of the two survivors of that party,
the following were in it: Dennis Hanks, his wife, Elizabeth, four
children, Harriet, John, Sarah, Jane and Nancy; Squire Hall and his
wife, Matilda, and child, John; Thomas Lincoln, his wife, Sarah; his
son, Abraham, and step-son, John Johnson.
The party had three covered wagons, of which two were drawn by oxen
and one by horses. There also were two saddle horses. The little
company traveled at the rate of about fifteen miles a day and March
15, 1830, was in the vicinity of Decatur, Ill., 320 miles from the
starting point.
Indian trails were followed largely by the party bound for the
Sangamon country. The Illinois end of the commission's investigation
begins where the Lincolns crossed the Wabash river into Illinois.
Kentucky and Indiana already have initiated the marking of the route,
which is pretty well established in both States.
Passed Thru Vincennes, Ind.--Evidence which the commission gathered
indicates, almost without dissension, that the Lincolns passed thru
Vincennes, Ind. There is one person, however, who takes exception.
This is James K. Raridan, editor of the Charleston Daily News, who in
a recent article asserts that the crossing of the Wabash was made at
Mount Carmel.
Earlier in the year, however, Mr. Raridan expressed the opinion that
Vincennes and Lawrenceville lay along the route.
Evidence, which the commission has procured on the question of
crossing the Wabash River into Illinois indicates that the Lincoln
party went from Vincennes to Russellville, Ill., by way of Bruceville,
and so got into Eastern Illinois. In this connection the commission
has the word of Mrs. Chapman, daughter of Dennis Hanks, who says the
Wabash crossing was made the second day after leaving Vincennes.
Passed Thru Palestine--There is a tradition in Palestine, Ill. of the
Lincoln party's having passed thru there. In fact, Miss Ida M.
Tarbell in her "Life in Lincoln" recounts that Lincoln once mentioned
to friends that he recalled having taken notice that "a large crowd
was assembled in front of the land office at Palestine."
The Russellville-Palestine road stretches northward from Palestine to
York, says the commission. From York there appears to have been an
Indian trail leading northwest to what now is Melrose. Another trail
led northward from York, two or three miles, then turned westward past
old Fort Handy joining the other trail near Melrose. The latter, in
the opinion of the commision, would have offered the fewer obstacles
to the party.
Says They Used Second Trail--Abraham Harrison, of Union, Ill.,
declares the party did go along the second trail and that the
travelers remained all night with his family. The Harrisons and
Lincolns were friends in Kentucky.
Harrison says that the party wnet from his home northward, without
road or guide, to Grand View, Edgar County, where they remained for
some time. This statement is supported by H. C. Bell, of Washington,
D.C., who has interviewed many Clark county pioneers on the subject.
Mrs. Chapman, however, denies the party went to Grand View.
The commission found that, even assuming the party did not turn off as
Mr. Harrison thinks, they at least arrived at a point on what now is
the National road at the site of Martinsville. From this point, Mrs.
Chapman declares, the party made its way to what now is Greenup, Ill.,
and there crossed the Embarrass.
She further says that the party passed thru what now is Paradise
Township of Coles County.
Assuming that the party was at Paradise, the commission found that
several questions arise. Among them, where did the party strike the
Paris-Shelbyville road?
Did the party travel this road any distance or did it go in a
northwest direction to Macon County? Did the party go to Shelbyville,
then to Decatur? Some persons believe the party would be inclined to
take a northwesternly course from Coles County, thus missing the
Kaskaskia bottoms as much as possible.
Lincoln Told of Decatur Stop--When we get to Decatur," says the
report, "the ground is much more secure. Judge J. O. Cunningham,
states from personal knowledge that Mr. Lincoln once stood in front of
the Courthouse in Decatur and declared that the party had stopped
almost on the spot where he then was standing.
"Furthermore that the entry into Decatur was made by a road leading
from the south near what now is the Illinois Central right of way.
From Decatur to the Lincoln farm in Macon County the rouste seems to
have been located several years ago.
"James K. Rardin, of Charleston puts forth the claim that the Lincoln
party crossed the Wabash at Vincennes in 1831, passed thru
Lawrenceville, thence in a northwesternly direction to Vandalia. From
Vandalia, he says they returned to Paradise, Coles County, where they
remained several months with relatives and friends.
H. C. Bell, formerly of Clark County, believes that they went from
somewhere near York to Grandview, Edgar County, where they tarried for
a while.
That it is advisable further to continue the investigation of the
"Lincoln way" at every point, is the conclusion.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any
format for profit or presentation by other organizations or persons.
Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain
the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative
of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb Archivist with proof
of this consent.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Cindy McCachern